‘The Old City has been abandoned, neglected and unloved for many years’

Following Bristol Civic Society’s reaction to “call-in” and request a public inquiry for the St Mary le Port proposal, which was democratically approved by Bristol planning, I would like to make some comments.

The St Mary le Port development is an emotive issue, with strong feelings on both sides. This is evident from hundreds of comments I have read regarding this application, including the Bristol Civic Society’s response to it.

Notwithstanding, it is no more emotive for Bristol Civic Society than it is for the thousands of people that have to live with the damaging fallout and threatening consequences of this dilapidated site.

I am most disappointed with Bristol Civic Society’s reaction to developer MEPC’s democratically approved application, which was also supported by Friends of Castle Park members, ten to one in favour. I therefore strongly urge the civic society to withdraw or halt the process for calling in MEPC’s approved application.

View looking down Mary le Port Street towards St Nicholas Market image MEPC

The reasons for my disappointment are:

• I think Bristol Civic Society’s decision to call in this application is a risky strategy that could backfire. We may well end up with a worse development, which might include some or all of the following issues:
  – Loss of park space
  – Less attractive buildings
  – Taller buildings
  – Less practical space
  – Fewer amenities
  – Less well-preserved heritage
  – Lost heritage
  – No reinstated heritage
  – Poorly maintained site
  – Worse access and so on.
• It is a sad day that this opportunity to rejuvenate the worst part of the most important area in the Old City is put under threat, or at best delayed, by Bristol Civic Society’s action. We may never get a better chance to reverse the decline in the Old City, at least not in my lifetime. The ever-deteriorating condition of the site will, in my opinion, inevitably lead to a disastrous outcome for St Mary le Port and its surroundings.
• Waiting for an indeterminate amount of time for a more “appropriate development”, as they put it, could well result in an unacceptably high price to pay for missing this opportunity and the sole responsibility for this failure would land on the doorstep of the Bristol Civic Society.

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Read more: St Mary le Port development plans split opinion 

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Backwards-looking idealistic thinking is never going to transform derelict slums into anything worth having in their place in my lifetime and, meanwhile, the site deteriorates further. There has not been a more viable, desirable solution for dealing with this area for over 80 years unless anyone thinks that what is there now has potential.

Of course, there is a price to pay for transforming the derelict centre of the Old City, but given the previous proposals I have seen, with attempted land-grabs of park space and buildings twice the height of those currently proposed, I think the slight loss of sky is not only a price worth paying in order to restore lost history.

The historic tower of St Mary le Port church is currently hidden behind what is generally agreed to be a trio of eyesore buildings – photo: Martin Booth

The Old City has been abandoned, neglected and unloved for many years. The tolerance afforded to graffiti painters and taggers has led to the site, and nearby historic alleyways, becoming embarrassingly disfigured.

For too long, this form of antisocial behaviour has been accepted and is now even expected, by Bristol City Council, the police and far too many residents. Bristol’s historic heart, at the medieval core of the Old City, is in a right mess and at the centre of this shambles are the Bank of England and Norwich Union buildings.

The issues around this site are numerous. This area is dangerous, frequently littered with sharps and assorted drugs paraphernalia, broken glass and also suffers from fly-tipping. The police report in the accompanying documents to MEPC application makes depressing reading and should give everyone real cause for concern.

The buildings have been squatted, burned, used as toilets, drug dens and the fire service have flooded them with water. They are to all intents and purposes slums, which I doubt could be brought back into serviceable use, or make a viable conversion into anything other than a post-apocalyptic film set.

Given that opposers to the MEPC development have been witness to this decline in the Old City, have not made any viable, democratically desirable alternative suggestions for the St Mary le Port site and are not willing, able or interested in funding a proposal more ‘acceptable’ to them, then this area is always going to be left for a deep-pocketed investor to sort out.

As things are, the situation at the crossroads is now so bad, that planners are faced with a problem similar to the one they were confronted with post-war. It is my opinion that “calling in” the democratically approved MEPC application is yet more time wasted for bringing this site back into serviceable use.

St Mary le Port church tower is dominated by its surroundings now, after the proposed development is complete, it will be in better condition, made more accessible, will have improved maintenance and will be more visible than at any time in the past 60 plus years.

Russ Leith is the co-founder of Friends of Castle Park and a resident of the Old City

Main image: MEPC

Read more: Public inquiry could decide fate of controversial St Mary le Port scheme

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